Running Exposed Valve Gear

Any reason this couldn't be done with an engine that ordinarily runs a valve cover? I'm ***uming you'd have to install some sort of oil deflector, but otherwise...?

 

the model T has no pressure lubrication, i wouldn't try it on anything modern (or with pressure lube) as oil will go every where,

 

Ah hah, makes sense. My wife would tell me I should have thought about that longer - but I'm at work, and who is thinking there?

 

Ever set the valves an a running SBC?? You'll never have to worry about rust...

 

We have permanent stains on the wall & ceiling! Flatheads forever.

 

What kind of motor is that?

 

Ford Model T with a 16 valve Roof head.

 

absolutely LOVE the look of exposed valve trains! Lots of early motors were set up thataway - especially the atmospheric inlet valve hit-and-miss motors.

Thought about it for a while now, and I'm pretty sure it's possible to do on a SBC simply by converting the pushrods from hollow to solids. After the conversion, tho, you've got to add an auto luber (like a lincoln luber) to occasionally drip some oil on the valve guides.

That's the real ish here - Most OHV motors have some angularity to the valve train, and this angularity is what wears out valve guides and other moving bits. The 'old' motors (including the conversion in the pic) have pushrods, rockers, and valves which are parallel and perpendicular to each other; the geometry is such that side loading (and subsequent wear) is minimized.

Having said all of that - it's still cool as hell, and I'd love to see somebody do it, even tho the heads prolly won't last all that long.

 

It would look like a fire boat on the 4th of July. Ever try adjusting the tappets with the motor running, and that's just at idle.

 

The earliest Chevies had no valve covers, I believe. As well as the angularity issues, early systems were pretty low stress because of very light spring pressure. Before the late 1920's, it looks to me like few manufacturers gave any consideration to keeping dirt out of engines, and there was also precious little done to keep the oil on the inside.

 

I had a knuckle head with exposed valve gear once, it also had a hand pump on the tank to oil the top end.

One thing about it, my chinos would repell water after rideing it a couple of times.

 

I know some of the older motorcycles & airplane motors had what they called a ''total loss system'' but I have never understood how the hell that worked! You might check it out.

 

Total loss was also fairly common on very early cars. There were several gl***&br*** oilers on the dash with adjustable drip rates and visible oil level, perhaps a simple pressure tank with air pump om some applications, and oil slowly drizzled via tubing to the bearings and dripped out into the world once it had leaked out of the bearing. So, add the oil pan to the valve covers in the garbage can--real hotrods should be simple, right?
Just imagine what route 80 would look like now if total loss was still in use... a wreck with a fire might start a grid of fire criss-crossing the entire country!
Cool!

 

im not real familaur with the motors but with the valve train angle issues maybe a nail head would be a better aplication then a sbc?

tim

 

I'm not trying to stifle discussion here, but we would be talking about an inline engine, so angles probably wouldn't be an issue.

Although some of the total loss systems on motorcycles were on V-twins, so maybe there's an answer anyway.

 

Guys-

Here's one you might like. This is a 1903 motor (and ch***is) that's on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. It's pretty much totally exposed.

Note the fully exposed "overhead" camshaft - and best of all - look closely at the bottom front (just behind the starter crank gear cluster). See the slightly angled item there? That's a connecting rod. Yup, the whole bottom end is open, with the crankshaft just laying in a tray (although it appears like there are some splash guards on the sides).

I guess you just carried an oilcan with you and stopped now and then for a quick lube job. This car was actually built for the 500. It's hard to imagine keeping up a steady pace during the race while having to get out every couple laps for oiling.

 

I doubt it was oiled from a hand squirter...that would really do in your lap times, unless your riding mechanic was really brave and agile...
See stuff on total loss systems above. There was an oil system, just not the familiar sort!

 

Well, it doesn't seem like that long ago that lots of county roads were mostly dirt and shell, and they got "maintained" by just giving 'em a fresh coat of OIL!
So, if we all ditch our valve covers and oil pans, road maintenance becomes...
....Oh yeah, that flammability issue ...... never mind!!!

 

Ah yes, the Premier engine, SOHC, Hemi headed aircooled banger...any more pics of it, maybe a ch***is shot or two...

 

Youse guys have been havin' fun with this topic! I'd started to respond and got sidetracked, but most of the good stuff has been covered. Bruce and the biscuit pretty much got it nailed, BTW.

Quickie sidebar - early total loss systems were lubed by castor oil, or were animal fat based. I've worked on some Russian motorcycles with animal fat-based lubrication - smells like bacon, tellyouwhut! Anyway, the animal-fat based (and castor oil) lubrication actually bonds to the metal at temps above 140 deg F - if you've ever worked in a diner, you know that the stainless counters always feel 'slimy' - even after cleaning. This is how the oil 'clung' to exposed components on these early motors. Modern organic and synthetic oils have additives to make them 'wet', but they just don't compare to the old stuff in this area.

There is something soo cool about open motors. I collect skeleton watches (open mechanical drive) for the exact same reason.

 

Up the road from me in Rhinebeck NY, there's a bunch of traditional wacko's that build and maintain traditional vintage PLANES. This is no static museum, they actually drive - I mean fly wahtever thay can get in the air that day !!.

The word on those total loss planes was that they used Castor oil and kept a steady fog going toward the pilot. I've been told that after a time in the fog you didn't need any ExLax

These guys have a huge collection of "trad" planes and vehicles that defy description. The first time I went ther to see the "Air Show" I saw this old fabric wing biplane barely lift off the ground and labor to fly over my head. I said "these guys actually fly that thing?" the answer was that that's the plane they give rides to the public in!.

http://www.oldrhinebeck.org/collection_airplane.htm

They have a collection of vehicles that includes Steam cars, electric cars, light tanks and incredibly rare motorcycles. again, thay drive or try to these things every weekend all summer!.

http://www.oldrhinebeck.org/collection_groundvehicles.htm

BTW This place is right up the road from the Rhinebeck Fairgrounds - the site of the best car show and swap meet in New England as far as I know. This year the Rhinebeck "Spring Dustoff" is May 5th, 6th & 7th and they have Hot rods and modifieds on Saturday and then Antiques on Sunday..
I'll be there with some kind of my cars Sat. and Sunday.

Powerband

http://www.oldrhinebeck.org/collection_airplane.htm

 

I'm a little puzzled that transparent covers on engine parts haven't been more popular--distributor caps and valve covers were around 30 years ago, but had short and ugly lives. Now we have better plastics, and many modern engines have valve trains of wondrous complexity...
I always enjoyed adjusting rocker arm engines open with rockers dancing and push rods spinning--but then came the cleanup.

 

Like I said earlier, most used a hand pump and got a squirt every once in a while. The lower end and the top end were oiled seperatly.

The earliest indian 4s with the L head had a total loss for the top end also, as did the 21" harley and several others. I don't think the henderson 4 ever was total loss, but I'm not familiar with the earliest henderson's.

 

What a sweet looking motor that would be in a rod. If you look at films of the early indy 500's, they carried a mechanic on board during the race. He kept the fuel pressure pumped up and the valve train lubed. The indy museum is way cool. The speedway motors museum up there is cool too.

 

Fur -

Here's the only other shot I took (complete with an extreme close-up of the end of my camera lanyard - LOL).

I believe the info said a body was never fashioned, and also that it's "performance" was so dismal that it never actually competed in the 500 - or any race for that matter.

 

Chuckspeed: You got me brainstorming about an oil-less valvetrain. Here is my take... Roller shaft & roller tip rockers; DLC coating on p-rod socket & valve tip; DLC-type coating on valve guides. The needles and races of the rocker bearings would need coatings to maintain any sort of durability.

All of this combined might allow a SBC valvetrain to run without oil fed thru the pushrods, but I still wouldn't run without rocker covers. Debris would play havoc on the rollers. Open valvetrain would look *****'n though...


BTW: As I have understood the old barnstormers didn't wear the long white scarfs for looks.... mmmm castor oil it's not just for breakfast anymore...

 

Here's my 1929 Indian Scout OHV engine. It had overhead oiling at one time, it drizzled oil on something, not sure what. Now it is just an open valve train V-twin. This bike was ridden many miles in street form by the builder, Elmer Turner. Then it lived a compe***ion life, was retired, and finally I found the remains about 10-15 years ago. The engine is done, ch***is nearly done, etc. So yes, open valve trains work and live. Nimbus four cylinder motorcycles had open valve trains until they shut down in the '57-'59 era, and were continuations of the 1934 design. They did grow some rubber covers on the rocker arms at the end.

 

All of this combined might allow a SBC valvetrain to run without oil fed thru the pushrods, but I still wouldn't run without rocker covers. Debris would play havoc on the rollers. Open valvetrain would look *****'n though...

Is it just faulty memory, or do I remember clear valve covers being available for sbc engines sometime back when?

 

I've a friend with a Nimbus, and I've ridden it, quite peppy for an early 750 four.
When he rides it, he occasionally whips out an oil can and gives 'er a squirt on the rockers - you DON'T want to follow him when he does this .
Cosmo